Residential wooden stairs are usually purchased as a prefabricated unit with the risers (vertical elements) and the treads (horizontal elements) fastened to stringers in their final form. In the prior art, these prefabricated staircases are installed in, for example a home construction, and construction on a home continues with workmen walking up and down the staircase to perform their construction tasks. Even if the treads (the horizontal surfaces) are covered with a protective material, they can suffer damage during the construction process.
After all major construction in the home is completed, workmen must come in and finish the staircase by sanding the treads and risers and applying appropriate finish coatings to them. If the risers and treads are damaged in any way because of months of foot traffic, the refinishing process takes longer and is more expensive.